Chapter 2

Claire's POV

I pulled the hood further over my head and hurried out the classroom. I had to get away from that boy.

What was it about him? Something about him just gave me a rush of… of something, and I've never even met him before.

I skipped lunch and slumped under an isolated tree, my head buried in my hands.

I only had half an hour before I had to go back home.

Back to them.

"Hey" I jumped and immediately went to protect my face, to see a Goth girl smiling concerned at me.

"Are…you okay?" she asked, confused.

I faked a smile and nodded "yeah."

She grinned "you're the new girl, Claire right?"

I nodded again.

"I'm Eve" she said and thumped down next to me.

"So, why you here then?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean what brought you to Morganville?"

"Oh. My parents wanted a change." I lied.

"Well, Morganville's not much of a change I can – hey, what's that? On your face?"

I stiffened and looked down, pushing my hood back up. "Nothing. I got in an argument with a friend that's all." Yeah, except the 'friend' had been two people who should love me who I was defenseless against, resulting in a gash across my face and black bruises.

"But –"the bell rang again and I stood up.

"I gotta go, it was nice meeting you though" I smiled at her and ran away.

I rushed into a nearby bathroom and put my back to the wall, before sliding down it into a crouch on the floor.

Defeated.

I couldn't take much more of this.

I needed…I needed out.

I reached into my bag, and drew out my penknife. My face blank, I flipped it open and cut along my wrist 3 times.

I watched the blood run down the pale skin and smiled.

Funny, how when they cut me, it's different. But when I do, it makes me feel.

And I like it.

The bell rang.

It was time to go home.

Eve's POV

I watched her run away. What was it like she was scared of me or something?

And what about her face? I couldn't really see, but it looked like a long red line on her cheek.

Maybe I imagined it, but there was still something wrong with her.

I looked back at the building where she's disappeared to, then grabbed my bag and walked home.

Ok, maybe not walked. Maybe run-your-ass-off-so-vampires-don't-suck-you-dry-or-instead-get-killed-by-kinda-like-roomates-for-being-late.

Maybe that.

I slammed the door behind me panting.

Mental note to self – get fitter so you don't die every time you run.

"Yo living undead, what's cooking?" I yelled to nobody. Hopefully someone was here-

"It's your turn princess! Ok, a lame Goth half-dead princess but whatever!" Shane yelled from the kitchen.

"Is not!"

The door opened and closed again and Michael came up behind me, tossing his keys on the table.

"Hey did you see the new girl today?" he asked me before picking up his guitar.

"Yeah, she seemed bothered by something. When the bell rang she ran away from me."

"So you talked to her then."

I sighed. "Kinda. I was chatting to her when I saw something on her face. I asked and she got all weird and freaked. Then the bell rang and she bolted."

He frowned at that. Shane came out of the kitchen and started playing on his Xbox.

My phone buzzed. Pulling it out I read the text.

"Gotta go, slave drivers want me." I sighed. God, just one more year and I would be free.

"Good luck" Michael smiled at me and I blushed.

Claire's POV

I shut the door behind me, and as quietly as I could, slipped upstairs.

Maybe I could get an hour before I had to be beaten. But they always came.

Every night they came.

I looked into my mirror and pushed back the hood.

There, stood a girl. She had a pale, hollow face, and blank eyes. Across her cheek was a long angry ash, and bruises along her left eye. On her other cheek, was a faint pink scar.

Ugh. No wonder they hated me.

I heard the front door slam and I grimaced.

"BITCH?" My dad yelled.

I had no choice but to go to him. It's not like it mattered; he would come up if I didn't.

I walked into the lounge.

"Good." He hissed. "Now I've had a hard day today, I need to have some fun."

I shuddered and backed away, but he came to me quickly and pinned me down. I squirmed as his hands skimmed up my legs, whimpered as he started to unbuckle my jeans.

"Does mom know you do this?" I said in a flat monotone.

He froze.

"Because basically you're cheating on her. How do you think she'll feel about that?"

His face turned white, then red.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU LITTLE WHORE!" he roared and slammed me into the wall. I gasped and clutched my head; I could feel something warm and sticky as I scrambled away. He grabbed a poker from the fireplace and charged at me, screaming and waving it around. I fumbled with the doorknob and rushed out into the hallway, pushing a desk in front of the door. I unlocked the front door and ran outside into the cold air. As I did, mom's car pulled into the drive and she got out.

"And where do you think you're going?" she shouted angrily and made a grab for me but I dodged her and ran like a maniac down the road. I didn't realize where I was going until I was there.

My old house.

I looked back, and I could hear her coming after me. I pushing against the door and it gave way. I stumbled inside and looked out the window to see mom run past.

I grabbed onto a table gasping before stumbled up the stairs.

I walked slowly along the hallway, letting my hand run across the wall.

And there it was.

Pushing the door open I went inside my old room.

It hadn't changed.

There it still was. All of it. The blood stained carpet, the little rug on the floor which I slept on, the single picture on the wall, memories, so many memories…

I curled up on my little rug, and let the darkness take over me.

Shane's POV

The door opened about 10 minutes after Eve had left.

She ran in and slumped on the couch.

I paused the game. "What's wrong?"

"Brandon" she muttered.

I got up and took her hand. "You gonna stay here tonight?"

She nodded. "If Michael lets me."

"Of course you can" Michael said behind us, and I turned to look at him. "You're always welcome here"

Eve blushed and they stared at each other for a while.

I cleared my throat.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Believe me; I do not wanna see this."

"Asshole!" Eve shouted and threw a pillow at me and I laughed, padding up the stairs.

I was about to get changed when something caught my eye out the window.

A shadow, inside the girls old room.

What the hell...?

"Mike" I called and a minute later he came in "look over there"

He came to the window and stared as the shadow grabbed the table, before falling down "they look hurt…" he murmured.

"Who does?" Eve asked and I pointed at the window.

"Do you think we should check it out?" Mike asked.

I nodded. "Yeah"

After we got all the weapons, the three of us walked quickly outside. When we reached the door, I saw it had already been opened.

"Shhh" I hissed before tiptoeing in.

The house was dark and dusty. You could see everything had been abandoned years ago, when they had run away, plates, pictures….

"Look" eve whispered and pointed at the table.

On the edge, there was a hand print; I touched it before pulling away.

It was wet. With –

"Blood" Michael said softly.

"Shit" eve said.

I nodded. Whoever was here, was either badly hurt, or had killed somebody.

In this town, it could be either.

"Upstairs" I whispered "they were in her room"

We padded quietly up the stairs. Soon enough, we were outside her door.

"ready?" I asked.

They nodded.

I pushed open the door slowly, and stepped into the room.

The floor was mostly red, and it took me a split second to realize it had originally been white.

The girl was abused worse than I thought.

I looked around. No bed, no toys no books. Just one picture.

And a shadow on the rug.

I crept forward, and turned them over.

And gasped.

She was bleeding heavily from a wound at the back of her head. There was a long gash across her cheek, and bruises covered her face. On her left cheek, there was a faint pink scar. Her face was hollow and thin, like the rest of her body.

"Oh my god" eve gasped.

I picked up her arm; it was ice cold and very, very bony. I felt for a pulse.

"Is she – "Michael started.

"Not yet." I said grimly.

Then I suddenly recognized her.

"Guys, is this…Claire?" Even as I said it, I saw the familiar hoodie and jeans.

"Oh my god, it is" Michael breathed.

I felt a huge panic rise up in me. I had to get her safe; away…I had to…

I had to protect her.

I lifted her up and cradled her in my arms.

"Come on" I said and with that we hurried home.